Saturday, July 29, 2023

Ten of Swords: The Sun in Gemini

DIVINATION

AND ELEMENTAL TRIANGLES

The most common questions in Tarot divinations concern love, money, success, and happiness. The Tarot can provide great insights about the state of your soul at the moment of your inquiry about any of these issues and more--even with only one card.
For instance, I used to play in a band. We would rehearse for an hour before the performance, then take a break for about twenty minutes before the performance began. Sometimes we would get bored, and I would whip out my deck of Tarot cards and give a reading. Once, I encouraged a droll member of the band to ask a question and then draw a card. He pulled the Ten of Swords from the Tarot deck without saying a word. I told him that the card reveals an orchestrated attack on the victim, but the storm is lifting, the water is calm, and the light of the sun is breaking through. I emphasized that no blood is on the ground around the victim and that his fingers are curled in a sign of blessing. Finally, I told him that the card represents The Sun in Gemini and that The Sun is associated with the higher self. He squinted at me for a moment, and just as I was starting to become afraid that the reading was a flop, he admitted that he was a Gemini and that he had recently lost his job and that the attack on him by his coworkers had been orchestrated. We both stared at the card for a moment, and then we heard the call to head out to the stage.

The Lovers: Gemini

   We didn't talk any more about the reading. A couple of weeks later during the break he was strolling by, and I encouraged him to draw another card for fun. He drew The Lovers. A brilliant sun shines above the head of Archangel Raphael, "Healer of God," who hovers above Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The two original lovers are experiencing paradise regained. I told him that everything in the card suggests personal integration and healing, a regained sense of harmony and balance and enlightenment. Then I said, "It looks like things are a lot brighter for you." He smiled and nodded. "And guess what?" I chuckled. "This card here, The Lovers, represents Gemini...."
   An Angel presides over the Tarot. According to the Golden Dawn, the Angel's name is H.R.U. The more you work with the Tarot, the more you contact the Angel--and the more you experience deep insights and "coincidences." As with any Angel or friend, you must spend some time to establish a relationship--with an Angel you might often be surprised by the amount of spiritual support that you experience. The way I connect with the Angel of the Tarot before a divination is by envisioning six or seven Tarot cards in my mind while I shuffle the deck. Once you develop a connection with the Angel of the Tarot, you will often find that the answers in your divinations are surprisingly clear and straightforward.
   Before my readings with the droll member of the band, I had never performed a one-card divination, but I have since realized that reading one card is an excellent way to begin the magical process of creating a living image: the card tends to have deep significance because it answers an important question in the querent's mind. If the querant doesn't like the answer, you can show him or her how to change the circumstances by creating a living image with an elemental triangle. If the card is good, you can show how to make the positive energies even stronger.

Five of Pentacles: Mercury in Taurus, Mars in Geburah

   For instance, let's say that a person asks a question about money and you deal the Five of Pentacles, a card that would alarm just about any querent. You can calm the person down a bit by forming an elemental triangle to reveal the positive energies associated with the card. The decan association of the Five of Pentacles is Mercury in Taurus, and the Tree of Life correspondence is Mars in Geburah. As you can see in the elemental triangle above, the Five of Pentacles is in the center of the downward-pointing triangle, which references the Earth Element. Revealing the decan association, The Magician, representing the planet Mercury, is at the top across from The Hierophant, representing the zodiac sign Taurus. The Tower, at the bottom of the triangle, represents the Tree of Life correspondence: Mars.
   For many people, The Tower is a disturbing card. If the card upsets you, remember that Mars brings unbalanced energies back into harmony in ways that might at first seem disruptive; instead of reasoning with you, Mars hits you with a thunderbolt. Mars brings disorder back into balance through a martial discipline that involves the appropriate use of skill and power. Mars is akin to a doctor who cuts out a tumor, or a law enforcement officer who arrests a violent criminal. Though The Tower reveals the dynamic, disconcerting power of Mars, the energies of Mars primarily maintain order and harmony.
   The Magician and the Hierophant represent high spiritual forces, positioned as they are near the top of the Tree of Life. The Magician brings extremely powerful forces of beneficial change down the planes, from spirit to matter; like The High Priestess, The Hierophant too can provide profound spiritual counsel because he is in touch with the higher dimensions of Universal Consciousness. Not coincidentally, the fingers on the right hand of the Hierophant are curled into the same blessing that we see in the Ten of Swords. Together, these three energies in the elemental triangle can help to alter the adverse situation shown in the Five of Pentacles.

Five of Pentacles covered by the King of Pentacles

After absorbing and experiencing the energies in those three cards, you can place the King of Pentacles, the epitome of wisdom and power and abundance, over the Five of Pentacles, then create a living image of the King of Pentacles that includes the potent energies of the other three cards. In other words, become the King of Pentacles and embody all the energies in the elemental triangle as a way to begin manifesting those positive energies in the world.

Five of Pentacles with Foundation Cards

Just a reminder: you can also use the pentagram, which fits seamlessly into the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram, to create a living image (something we will be focusing on more in future posts).

Active and Passive Invoking Pentagrams

The pentagram is especially important in the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram because it enables you to invoke the appropriate elemental energies by using the active pentagram for Air and Fire and the passive pentagram for Water and Earth as you work with the Archangels of the Elements, four of the greatest Powers of Harmony in the cosmos.

Five of Pentacles with Modifiers

Using the pentagram, you can add power and clarity to your ritual by including cards with decan associations, which I call modifiers.

Five of Pentacles covered by the King of Pentacles

There are other ways of dealing with "material trouble." If you prefer greater complexity, you can, for instance, use a Pentagram Invoking Spread that includes the Three of Cups, the Four of Wands, and the Nine of Pentacles to manifest abundance.

Abundance Pentagram Spread

For instance, you can place the Three of Cups, also known as "Lord of Abundance," in the center of the pentagram, then place the modifying cards associated with the Three of Cups on the Water Foundation Card at the pentagram's upper right point. Then you can include the Four of Wands and the modifying cards on the Fire Foundation Card at the lower right point of the pentagram. Then you can place the Nine of Pentacles and the modifying cards on the Earth Foundation Card at the lower left point of the pentagram. Venus in this spread is positioned between the Earth and Fire elements because Venus is present in the decans of both the Nine of Pentacles and the Four of Wands. Let all of the energies in the cards come through to you if possible. If not, focus on the energies in the cards that you are most attracted to.
Regarding coincidences and synchronicities: All is Consciousness, which is why the external world can eventually reflect your inner world and manifest positive changes. The goal is to change your mind and change your life, in other words, to activate the energies in yourself that will enable you to make beneficial changes in your world. You can modify the programming of the Universal Mind, but often you first need to experience powerful archetypal energies before you can take effective action to make beneficial changes as a co-creator with God.

Saturday, July 22, 2023

Elements Positioned on Pentagram

CREATING LIVING IMAGES WITH ELEMENTAL TRIANGLES

"Know ye not that ye are Gods?" a beloved spiritual leader once asked (John 10:34). Two thousand years later, it has become necessary for us to slowly unfurl our wings to touch all the dimensions of Universal Consciousness: we must learn to love all of creation or die. We cannot destroy the planet and each other much more than we already have and still survive as a species. Despite all prevailing pessimism, I would vote yes if the question is whether or not humanity can experience a positive shift in consciousness that might save us.

I know a secret: if, during the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram, you effectively invoke the Archangels, your personality disappears, and you know without any doubt who you are as a spiritual being; you feel a profound sense of eternity and timelessness, as if all time exists at once in the Universal Mind (something I have suspected since the age of eleven when I started hearing voices and having intuitions that clearly and accurately predicted the future).
Because of my spiritual practices, I have also intuited that the Tree of Life is a kind of "programming" for the cosmos. As above, so below. Universal Consciousness, as the Tree of Life, is embedded within each one of us. Since you embody the archetypal energies of the Tree of Life in your personal energy field, you can awaken a powerful connection between yourself and Universal Consciousness and modify the cosmic "programming" within the limits of natural law, which is why creating living images can be so transformative.
The Tarot dovetails with the Tree of Life in every conceivable way. When creating a Tarot living image, you clearly and ardently imagine that you are the figure in the Tarot card and take on its archetypal energies. In other words, with each living image, you are activating the powerful energies of the Tree of Life in your own personal energy field to manifest your intentions--which often include making changes in yourself and your world for a higher good. As you repeatedly awaken this powerful connection between yourself and Universal Consciousness, you become a co-creator with God.

The Three of Wands, with the Decan and Tree of Life Correspondences

The Three of Wands helps me expand my mind beyond "local" reality--beyond my limited experiences within the physical dimension. In the elemental triangle above, Saturn, represented by The World, is the Tree of Life correspondence, which in this case is positioned at the top. The Sun, a planet in classical astrology, is part of the decan associated with the Three of Wands: The Sun in 11 - 20 degrees of Aries. When creating a living image with this card, either for yourself or someone else, you can include these other three energies in your intention. For instance, you can imagine getting the "big picture" as you stand under the sun experiencing the dimensions of Universal Consciousness, one of which is the trinity, suggested by the three wands; you can feel the dynamic energy of Aries as you stand in the Christ-light of Oneness, experiencing the freshness of the beginning of creation (a mythological principle associated with the path of The Emperor), caught up in the adventure and the dance of life (represented by The World). You might have a different interpretation of how these cards work together thematically: your intention is everything as you open your consciousness to these powerful influences.

The Planetary Decan Correspondences of Aries

You can also invoke the energies associated with Aries. When doing so, you need to consider the three planets in the decans corresponding to the zodiac sign of Aries. For instance, with Aries, you focus on the planetary influences of Mars, the Sun, and Venus. Mars and Aries of course are strongly associated to each other through the Fire element. With these three planets, you can experience the power of the life-force on all levels of being. Remember that the sun is the source of all life in the solar system and is also associated with enlightenment on all levels of the psyche: emotional, mental and spiritual. Venus is associated with harmony, beauty and love on all levels of being. Combined, these three energies are extremely potent: this ritual can help you experience a heightened sense of energy within you as well as deeper spiritual understanding.

The Number Card Correspondences of Aries

You can include the energies of the Number Cards in the living image of Aries by placing the Two of Wands (Mars), the Three of Wands (Sun), and the Four of Wands (Jupiter) over the cards associated with the planets. The alternate titles of these cards say it all: the Two of Wands is "The Lord of Dominion"--over yourself and your world; the Three is "The Lord of Established Strength"--of yourself as a fully realized spiritual being; the Four is "The Lord of Perfected Work." I have found these cards especially helpful in gaining greater confidence, a heightened sense of mastery, clearer vision, and a deeper sense of my purpose as a spiritual being. The creation of living images can help you see beyond your personality, which is limited by space and time in this dimension, and enable your psyche to experience subtle dimensions of Universal Consciousness.

Elemental Foundation Cards

   Significant relationships exist between symbols in the Tarot and the Tree of Life. For instance, pentagrams and elemental triangles are strongly associated with each other. Unlike the elemental triangle, however, the pentagram fits in seamlessly with the powerful ritual mentioned above known as "The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram," which we are going to use in the future, so it is important that you understand the elemental relationships.
   Thanks to the media, people nowadays tend to be familiar only with the inverted pentagram used by satanic cults. Many people consequently believe that all pentagrams are evil, which could not be farther from the truth. Every spiritual symbol, like the cross or the pentagram, has the potential to be turned upside down, just as all divine energies can be perverted by unbalanced individuals. The pentagram is actually a symbol representing the one of the most harmonious forces in the cosmos, the Christ-force, the five-pointed star combining five elements, or levels of being, in absolute balance. Just as importantly, the pentagram can be used in ritual to bring energy harmoniously down the planes from spirit to matter.
   In the Tarot, each suit is associated with an element, or level of being: Wands with the element of Fire, Cups with Water, Swords with Air, and Pentacles with Earth. At the points of the pentagram, you can use “foundation” cards to represent levels of energy manifesting harmoniously: the four Aces, each representing the root of its element, and “Judgement,” a card associated with the letter Shin and the quintessence of Spirit. The Ace of Wands representing the root of the element of Fire (Yod) should be positioned at the lower right point, the Ace of Cups representing the root of the element of Water (Heh) at the upper right point, “Judgement” representing Aether or Spirit (Shin) at the top, the Ace of Swords representing the root of the element of Air (Vau) at the upper left point, and the Ace of Pentacles representing the root of the element of Earth (final Heh) at the lower left point of the pentagram. The Hebrew letters associated with the four elements form the Tetragrammaton, the unpronouncable name of God (which people sometimes pronounce as Jehovah, or Yahweh). With the Hebrew letter Shin in the middle, the letters form Yeheshuah, the mystical name of Jesus, symbolizing spirit manifested in matter as well as the higher self manifested in the incarnated personality.

The Planetary Decan Correspondences of Cancer

We will focus more on Pentagram Spread Rituals, which tend to be a bit more complicated, later on. Right now, however, we need to get back to to the basics of creating powerful elemental triangles. Remember that if you want to invoke the energies of a card under a Water or Earth Sign, you need to use a downward pointing triangle. If you are focusing on Cancer, a Water sign, for instance, you can include the three planets in the decans corresponding to Cancer: Venus, Mercury, and The Moon--three energies used in the performance of magic to manifest a specific intention. The seventh Emanation known as Victory (Netzach) is associated with Venus, who, in the Hebrew tradition, is represented by Archangel Haniel. The eighth Emanation known as Splendor (Hod) is associated with Mercury, represented in the Hebrew tradition by Archangel Michael. The ninth Emanation known as The Foundation (Yesod) is associated with The Moon, represented in the Hebrew tradition by Archangel Gabriel. Archangels Haniel, Michael, and Gabriel are extremely important in the performance of magic. (More on that later.)

Number Cards Associated with Cancer

You might choose instead the three Number Cards associated with Cancer, the Two, Three, and Four of Cups, since they are all so positive: What could be better than a life filled with love and abundance and clear psychic vision and understanding? Number cards can be excellent modifiers that add to your intention.

The Elemental Correspondences of Water

If you choose to invoke an element, you can place the card representing the element in the center of the triangle, and then position the cards representing the three zodiac signs in the corresponding elemental triplicity around it. For instance, you need to use a downward pointing triangle for Water, with the card that represents Water, The Hanged Man, in the center. Then place The Chariot (Cancer), Death (Scorpio), and The Moon (Pisces) in the shape of an downward-pointing triangle around The Hanged Man. I have found that this ritual is particularly effective for spirit journeys and for purification with the element of Water.

The King as the Tree of Life Correspondence for the Twos

With the Twos and Tens, which on the Tree of Life are not associated with a planet, you can use a King for the Twos to represent the Tree of Life correspondence and the Page of the suit for the Tens. The Kings, who represent wisdom, are actually assigned to the second Emanation known as Wisdom (Chokmah in Hebrew). With the Two of Swords, for instance, you can use the the King of Swords to represent the Tree of Life correspondence, and The High Priestess (The Moon) and Justice (Libra) to represent the decan. I have found this triangle effective in restoring a deep sense of peace and balance in the soul as the King of Swords transmutes negativity into grace. (Notice the golden butterflies lifting from his crown in the background tapestry.)

The Page as the Tree of Life Correspondence for the Tens

For the Tens, you can form a triangle using a Page for the Tree of Life correspondence. For instance, you can place the Ten of Pentacles in the middle of the triangle with The Magician (Mercury) and The Hermit (Virgo) above. The Pages are associated with enthusiasm and curiosity and learning and innocence as well as with fresh ways of looking at things. I have found this triangle effective in experiencing new and creative ways of thinking, especially in terms of obtaining abundance.

REVIEW OF ELEMENTAL, ASTROLOGICAL AND TREE OF LIFE ASSOCIATIONS

The Path of Lightning

   On the Tree of Life, the Number Cards are associated with the circles on the Tree, known in Hebrew as Sephiroth, or Emanations. These spheres are the first ten "paths," which follow the Path of Lightning, starting at the top, heading down diagonally to the second sphere at the right, then straight over horizontally to the third sphere, then diagonally down to the fourth sphere on the right, and so on to the bottom sphere.
   Behind the Tree of Life are three veils of negative existence beyond manifestation, which the human mind in its current state cannot possibly know. The Tree of life symbolically reveals the evolution of the basic energies of the cosmos that we can know since we are part of them, and they are part of us.
   In the process of creation, the first sphere that emanated from the unmanifest is known as the Crown (Kether in Hebrew). The second Emanation, associated with the zodiac, is called Wisdom (Chokmah in Hebrew). A planet is associated with each of the next seven Emanations on the Tree of Life, Three through Nine, in this descending order: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, The Sun, Mercury, Venus, and The Moon. Eventually, the physical plane manifested, receiving the influx of all of the other cosmic energies.
   The Tree of Life contains four different levels, symbolized by the elements, Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The Number Cards, which are associated with the Emanations, represent the different levels of energy corresponding to the four elements within each sphere.
   The Aces represent the roots of their respective elements, not astrological signs. Each of the other 36 Number Cards, however, is assigned 10 degrees of the zodiac, known as a decan. The Number Cards, Two through Ten in each suit, together represent the complete circle of the zodiac.
   Three of the decans within the Fire triplicity are associated with Aries, three with Leo, and three with Sagittarius. Three of the decans within the Water triplicity are associated with Cancer, three with Scorpio, and three with Pisces. Three of the decans within the Air triplicity are associated with Libra, three with Aquarius, and three with Gemini. Three of the decans within the Earth triplicity are associated with Capricorn, three with Taurus, and three with Virgo.
   Within the circle of the zodiac, the planetary signs follow a descending order mirrored by the spheres on the Tree of Life: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, The Sun, Venus, Mercury, and The Moon.

Tree of Life (with Number Cards and Court Cards)
   Each Number Card is associated with an Emanation on the Tree of Life, the Twos with the second Emanation in the Path of Lightning, the Threes with the third Emanation, the Fours with the fourth Emanation, and so on down to the Tens in the tenth Emanation. So, each of the Number Cards, Two through Ten, contains a decan correspondence and a Tree of Life association. For example, the Four of Swords contains this decan correspondence and Tree of Life association:

Four of Swords: Lord of Rest from Strife
Decan: Jupiter in 21 - 30 degrees of Libra
Tree of Life Association: Jupiter in Chesed (Fourth Sphere)
   Most of the time, the decan correspondence and the Tree of Life association are not the same, as in the following example.

Nine of Pentacles: Lord of Material Gain
Decan: Venus in 11 - 20 degrees of Virgo
Tree of Life Association: Moon in Yesod (Ninth Sphere)
   The Tens do not represent the planet Earth. Instead, on the Tree of Life they represent the forces of the four elements within the cosmos. So, the Tens have a Tree of Life association of "the four elements in Malkuth." (Malkuth is Hebrew for The Kingdom.)

Ten of Pentacles: Lord of Wealth
Decan: Mercury in 21 - 30 degrees of Virgo
Tree of Life Association: Four Elements in Malkuth (Tenth Sphere)
   Let's review: The Minor Arcana Number Cards are associated with the ten Emanations, also known as the first ten paths on the Tree of Life. Each Number Card, Two through Ten, has a decan correspondence and a Tree of Life association. The Major Arcana Trumps are associated with the paths that connect the spheres on the Tree of Life and each Trump is associated with one of the following: a zodiac sign or a planet or one of three elements, Fire, Water, or Air.

Major Arcana Trumps Representing Elements
The Astrological and Elemental Associations of the Major Arcana Trumps
   Working with elemental triangles is a great way to learn about the Tarot cards and to resonate with the energies within them as you experience dimensions of Universal Consciousness by building the Tree of Life in your aura.

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Tiger Lilies

ELEMENTAL TRIANGLES: CHANGE YOUR MIND AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Once, during my ritual, I attempted to neutralize a portion of the negative energy in the collective consciousness of humanity, but without much success. I felt stuck in negativity. At the beginning of the ritual, I heard a voice that stated matter-of-factly, "Eliminate negative systems." I wasn't quite sure what that meant, and I tried to find different ways of dealing with the problem but just couldn't manage to find a solution. Later that day, I traveled to the mountains, and as I was hiking next to a creek, ravished by the tiger lilies and columbine and wild roses, I unexpectedly felt completely free of negativity and drenched with peace. The next day, as I was performing my ritual, I envisioned what appeared to be computer systems mired in black energy. I didn't quite understand the vision and consequently again did not feel successful in neutralizing the negativity. After I finished my ritual, I felt an overwhelming urge to return again to the creek. I almost never go out to the mountains two days in a row, especially now that the price of gas is so high, but my pendulum insisted that I go back. After hiking next to the creek for awhile, I suddenly felt completely free once more: I felt peace emanating from the trees and flowers and rocks and water, a peace manifesting in the natural world but also transcending it: a peace from the Source of all Creation. And as I sat by the creek, that peace more and more felt like universal love emanating from the heart of creation, and my heart responded: I felt love for the creek and the trees and the flowers and for Universal Consciousness in all of its diversity and all of its dimensions, and I experienced an epiphany: on the spiritual level, love can heal and cleanse and bless and harmonize negative systems of belief--as well as negativity within the collective consciousness of humanity. I have not experienced any difficulties in my daily ritual since then.

Pink Mariposa Lily

These days, we can feel despair even if we don't have any personal problems. Sometimes problems in the world, like the threat of extinction from climate disruption and the rise of fascism and the risk of nuclear annihilation and the failures of capitalism to address crises such as the pandemic and recurring economic crashes--sometimes it's all too much, and I feel trapped in a system of a down. I worry that my children and grandchildren will end up living hand to mouth in a heartless social system ruled by the rich, a totalitarian system that can't or won't deal in any meaningful way with climate disruption and pandemics and recurring economic crises and the inequality of wealth. The capitalist class, the upper one percent, appears only to be able to concern itself with accumulating more wealth and gaining more power.

Columbine

I worry that capitalism will mire my children and grandchildren in fear and anxiety and debt their entire lives. Now, at one of the worst moments in this country's history, after a health and economic crisis that has battered people in this country for several years, the ultra-rich continue to rob the middle and lower classes through debt peonage. The average American household mortgage debt is $189,586--with a total of $9.44 trillion owed collectively in the US. The next biggest debt is student loans, with the average amount per American household being $46,822. The average auto loan debt is $27,804 and the average credit card debt per household is $5,135 (1). No other population in any country in the history of the world has ever experienced such a debt burden-- and something has got to give: debt bubbles will keep bursting because wages remain stagnant or chronically low in relation to the cost of living, and prices keep rising, and the difficulty of paying off debts just keeps increasing. Nevertheless, one percent of the people in this country, the employer class that controls prices, keep gouging us with inflation even as we are still dealing with personal debts caused by the pandemic and the economic crisis--on top of the debt we have already accumulated.

Eight of Swords: Jupiter in Gemini

We see and experience the negative impacts of minority rule on so many levels: a handful of people own half the wealth in the world, and the super-rich own the politicians and the judges who are determining the fate of the planet and our ability to survive as individuals with any quality of life or privacy or control over our own bodies. In the US, a tiny minority of wealthy people have turned one of our two parties into a neo-fascist gang of liars and clowns that strives mightily to benefit the rich and cut the social safety net. Our so-called political representatives over the years have allowed the military to waste many trillions of dollars on unwinnable and unjustifiable wars and on weapons of mass annihilation, more than the other top ten industrialized nations combined, but our representatives don't do anything to create an effective universal health-care system that would enable people to receive necessary care without bankrupting their families. Imagine for a moment that the representatives of the richest country in the world might change priorities and provide universal healthcare--as a right, not a privilege--like all other industrialized nations in the world. Imagine how much more effectively we as a country could deal with pandemics through immediate testing and quarantining and care, with a data system that could track the spread of the disease. This country has lost over 1,127,000 people to Covid (2). In contrast, US military deaths since WW1 have totaled over 600,000 (3). CNN reports that the US has 4% of the world's population but 25% of the world's Covid cases (4). Imagine not having to deal with the horror of losing well over a million of our family members and friends and neighbors again.

Nine of Swords: Mars in Gemini

This rant unfortunately makes me feel more hopeless, and the more I dwell on this system of a down, the more I want to lash out in anger. I could do a few things on the political level in an effort to transform the negative systems that are harming our country and our world, but my question is, how can I make the negative systems of belief within myself disappear so that I can create greater harmony in myself and the world? Immersing myself in the tranquility of the natural world is one way, but I cannot do that every day, or even twice a month. I can, however, through meditation and ritual, experience a mental and emotional state even more profound than what I experience in nature, and through love for myself and my family and humanity, I can eliminate negativity in myself and others. From this point on, for awhile at least, I am going to reveal the basics of several Tarot Rituals, which, if you practice them, can result in inner peace and harmony and a greater sense of the sacredness of all life.

Elemental Triangle for Nine of Swords: Mars in Gemini, Moon in Yesod

The Nine of Swords reveals how despair can lead to cruelty. The swords pierce the spiritual energy centers of the heart, the throat, the third-eye, and the crown, and black out spiritual awareness. At first glance, our ally appears to be suffering from the effects of cruelty, which is a vice of Mars stemming from unbalanced force in the fifth Emanation, or she might be suffering from grief, which is a common result of the constant change associated with the Moon. However, on the level associated with the element of Air in the ninth Emanation, the influences of Mars and Gemini can also be felt on a deeper level. The scene suggests that a blockage of the life-force between the higher and lower energy centers in the aura causes the despair. Stress and trauma from dysfunction and cruelty can close or block the chakras. Gemini symbolizes the dual nature of the self, the physical and spiritual aspects of the human being. Our ally is covering her eyes, blinding herself to the spiritual dimension. All levels of being are connected, and this is no different in the chakra system of the aura. One of the great powers associated with Mars is the ability to burn away negativity in order to balance the higher chakras with the lower chakras, allowing the life-force to flow harmoniously through the whole energy system, both upward and downward. When a blockage exists between the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical levels, the life-force on the lower levels, which includes the sex-life (associated with the Moon), is adversely affected, and weakness and psychological suffering and despair can result. It’s no accident that for our ally the spiritual dimension is blacked out and the lower half of the body is covered. There is always hope, however. On the blanket are red roses, red symbolically associated with both Mars and romantic love. Also on the blanket are astrological signs, a reminder that the psyche always has the potential to balance the life-forces and regain the health of spirit, mind and body.

Elemental Triangle for Nine of Swords with the Queen of Swords

Nowadays, most of us must deal to some degree with despair in ourselves and others. A simple way through ritual to deal with this condition is by creating a Tarot Elemental Triangle for the Nine of Swords. As shown above, the decan association is Mars in Gemini, and the Tree of Life Correspondence is The Moon in Yesod (The Foundation). Since the suit of Swords is associated with the element of Air, you would need to create or imagine an upward pointing triangle with The Tower (Mars) across from The Lovers (Gemini) at the bottom, and The High Priestess (The Moon) at the top, and with the Nine of Swords in the middle of the triangle. During the ritual, out loud or in your head, you can mention the difficulties you are experiencing that might make you want to lash out at individuals or groups. Then take a deep breath and imagine releasing your negativity. I recommend that you meditate for awhile at this point, imagining all the negativity draining away from you and burning up in the fires under the surface of the earth. When you feel that the negativity is gone, cover the Nine of Swords with the Queen of Swords, one of the most emotionally balanced and grounded figures in the Tarot deck, then see yourself filled with light, and feel the love of Universal Consciousness within your being.

The Magician

Imagine creating a living image with the Queen of Swords manifesting all the energies present in the elemental triangle. The Queen of Swords is already one of the most balanced figures in the suit of Swords, but The High Priestess takes that awesome sense of balance to a cosmic level: The High Priestess sits on her throne with a deep inner connection to all the dimensions of the Tree of Life and the Universal Mind. The lightning bolt of Mars, as disruptive as it can be sometimes, strikes us once in awhile in order to shake us up and burn away what no longer serves us so that we can manifest greater harmony and balance in our lives--as well as greater personal power, strength, discipline, and courage. The Tarot card The Lovers reveals paradise regained through the integration of the self and alignment with the Healer of God, Archangel Raphael, and with Universal Consciousness, the Source of all Creation. Through the ritual use of the Tarot Elemental Triangle, in other words, we can move from despair and cruelty to a positive and harmonious and even magical state of mind--and feel all the powerful subtle energies of the elemental triangle manifesting within us as well.
The Nine of Swords depicts an extremely dark, adverse circumstance, but like The Magician, through ritual intention you can powerfully transform negativity into harmony. Other cards with adverse circumstances include the Five of Pentacles; the Five, Eight, and Ten of Swords; and the Five of Cups. As with the Nine of Swords, you can transform an adverse circumstance in a Number Card by focusing on the decan association and Tree of Life correspondence. Some cards, however, can reveal circumstances that are neither totally positive nor disagreeably negative. With cards that reveal negative qualities that are necessarily part of a difficult process or situation, for instance, you can focus on the positive qualities of the decan association and Tree of Life correspondence in a transformative way. All of this will be revealed in more detail in upcoming posts as we explore the Number Cards. Right now, we are focusing on the basics, but eventually I will present spiritual practices that can supercharge these Tarot Rituals.

1) https://shiftprocessing.com/american-debt/

2) https://covid19.who.int/region/amro/country/us

3) https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/slideshows/u-s-military-deaths-by-war-since-wwi

4) https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/30/health/us-coronavirus-toll-in-numbers-june-trnd/index.html

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Seven of Cups:

Venus in Scorpio,

Venus in Victory (Netzach)

In your journey through the Tarot, you will encounter cosmic forces manifesting in many different circumstances. The basic, subtle forces of the Universal Mind have often been represented throughout the ages as Gods and Goddesses, but in the Tarot, the forces are often represented as people in common situations, which makes it easier for you to think of these forces as your allies. The more you resonate with your allies in the Tarot, the more you stimulate the archetypal forces within yourself, for your individual energy field contains the energies of the Universal Energy Field (which is how you are made in God's image). In other words, we each contain the energies of the Tree of Life, the basic energies of the Universal Mind, within us. Stated another way: the microcosm (the individual), embodies the energies of the macrocosm (the cosmos). These energies often remain latent in the subconscious mind, however; through social conditioning, we are forced to suppress the powerful forces within us, partially because we might end up using the forces for destructive or harmful purposes. You now have the opportunity to experience all of the energies of the Tree of Life as you work with the Tarot. One systematic way to experience the energies is by building elemental triangles.